


Hungover

by JavisTG



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drunkenness, Everlark Drabble Challenge, F/M, Humor, Office Party, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 22:33:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3505214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JavisTG/pseuds/JavisTG
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An office party, a secret crush and a lot of alcohol.<br/>I wrote this for a friend who was wondering what would happen if Katniss went to her office party and drank too much. I hope you like it :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hungover

I open my eyes and I wonder where I am and how the hell I got here. I look around and try to recognize my surroundings, but nothing looks familiar. There are pastel colors everywhere I look, the walls, the curtains, even the bedspread that’s partially covering my naked body...  Wait. What? Why the hell am I naked?

I close my eyes and take a deep breath as I try to remember. I need to understand what’s going on here. Bits and pieces of last nigh slowly come back to me as I start to relax. The office party, the loud music, the dancing, the obnoxious coworkers, the drinking (ugh the drinking), how much did I drink anyway? Judging by how unbelievably dry my mouth is I’m guessing the answer to that is: a lot.

Suddenly, I feel the mattress dip next to me, and I’m struck by panic again as I realize that I’m not alone. I squeeze my eyes tight shut and send a silent prayer. _Please don’t let it be Darius or some other creep from work_ , I can’t remember what happened last night but nothing could be worse than that. The second I hear his voice I realize just how wrong that last statement was.

“Good morning, Catnip.”

And just like that every sordid, messy little detail from last night comes back to me.

What began as a run of the mill office party turned into a nightlong parade of inappropriate behavior: receptionists dancing on tables, accountants using the P.A. system as a karaoke machine, and a wide assortment of underlings sucking face with their bosses; and, in the middle of it all, Peeta Mellark announcing that he’s leaving the firm. That’s when the drinking began.

“How are you feeling?” Gale’s voice is rough with sleep. I can feel the mattress move once more as he settles on his side, facing me.

“Hum, been better,” I answer, grabbing the blanket with both hands and pulling it as high as it can go. “Where are we?”

“In a hotel. They were giving away free rooms at the party, don’t you remember?”

I slowly shake my head. I clearly don't remember _every_ little detail about last night. I feel absolutely mortified but I need to understand what’s going on. So I push my shame aside and ask, “What… happened last night?”

“You really don’t remember, do you?” He asks. The amusement I sense in his tone rubs me the wrong way, so I turn to face him with the fiercest scowl my current condition allows. He starts chuckling, apparently unconcerned by my wrath.

 

“Relax, Catnip. Nothing happened. Nothing inappropriate, at least.”

“OK, so why am I…” I know how absurd this is but I’m too mortified to finish that sentence. Fortunately Gale takes pity on me and starts talking.

“Well, by the time you’d had your third kamikaze you decided that the party wasn't going to be complete until you told that Mellark guy exactly what you thought about his announcement.” My head throbs painfully while he explains that, apparently, I cornered Peeta in my boss's office and told him that I couldn't believe he was going to leave the company without ever having spoken to me. According to Gale, Peeta was rendered speechless by my sudden outburst which, honestly, even in my current condition, I find a little hard to believe. After all, Peeta is probably the most eloquent person I’ve ever met, and I’m sure that our lack of communication has been a result of me being as prickly as a cactus and not of him being tongue-tied around me. By the time Gale reaches the part of the story where I threw up all over myself after declaring that I was “so not into office romances” I’m so ashamed I can hardly breathe. “Don’t worry to much about that though,” he says with that smug grin of his still plastered on his face, “we were in the hotel lobby by then. Nobody saw you.”

Well, I guess that’s something at least. “So, is that why I’m not wearing any clothes?”

“Yeah, as soon as we got into the room you stripped and jumped into the bed. It’s a good thing that this is such a swanky place; I got them to take your things into the laundry before calling it a night. They should be bringing them back any minute now.”

I close my eyes and let out a shaky sigh of relief. Finally, some good news!

Gale takes that as his cue to get up. With one fluid motion he gets up from the bed and walks towards the bathroom. Right before disappearing behind the bathroom door he turns around and slaps his forehead, apparently having just remembered something. “Oh, by the way,” he says “you got a message from that Mellark guy after you’d passed out.” He must see the panic reflected in my eyes because he chuckles softly and adds “Don’t’ worry, he wasn’t mad at you or anything.  Actually, I answered it for you.”

My eyes snap open and a sharp stab of pain pierces my skull. “You did what?” I ask with as much outrage as I can muster.

He raises his hands defensively, “trust me, Catnip, I’m your oldest friend, I know what I’m doing.”

I’m still glowering at him when I ask “So, what was the message about’”

“Oh, nothing much,” he answers nonchalantly “you just agreed to go out on a date with him. He’s gonna swing by your place tonight at 8, you better be ready.” And with that he closes the bathroom door behind him and leaves me staring stupidly into the empty space.

 

A date, with Peeta Mellark, tonight. I can feel a small smile forming on my lips. Maybe last night wasn’t so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I enjoy comments and kudos as much as Katniss enjoys Peeta's cheese buns. Thank you for sharing them with me :)


End file.
